


You're No Better

by wackkypackk



Category: South Park
Genre: Implied Stan Marsh/Kenny McCormick - Freeform, Underage Drinking, kyle's kind of a dick in this sorry lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-11-12 17:05:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18014888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wackkypackk/pseuds/wackkypackk
Summary: The boys sit around drinking after finishing a long high school year. Stan and Kenny have gotten closer, and Kyle tells Kenny the what-for. Kenny doesn't take to kindly to Kyle telling him what to do.





	You're No Better

**Author's Note:**

> i was a bit scared to post this, because I haven't written south park (or just write at ALL) in so long. but after rereading it and cleaning it up, i managed to gain a bit of confidence.
> 
> anyway, i wrote this mainly because i want more stenny in my life, and i wanted to explore kenny's perceptive side. enjoy! i love you!

   It was a nice party, (if it could even be called that, there were only 5 people attending) exactly what the group needed to unwind from the torturous last week of school. Exams, school events, summer projects, part-time jobs, and more exams had all of the students at Park County busy for the past few weeks, and it was a relief that it was finally all over. At least, until it all started again in August.

 

   But no thoughts of school came across the minds of the group that night. Tonight was party-time, full of food, games, movies, alcohol, cigarettes—the essentials. They were at Stan’s house, in the backyard. The weather finally permitted them to hang out outside, just warm enough to sit on the porch or on the seat swing in the yard around a warm fire.

 

   Kenny sat on the porch, studying his already buzzed friends as they shouted across the fire pit, laughing or arguing, just as they always have. Although, Kenny kept his eye on one of his friends in particular: Stan. Stan was a lot louder than he usually was, obviously enjoying himself for the first time in a very long time. He poked into Eric and Kyle’s heated debate, leaving small comments on how stupid a point was or agreeing sarcastically. Kenny was almost a million percent sure Stan had no clue was Eric and Kyle were talking about, but it still made him smile at Stan’s lighter attitude (even if it was just because of the drink).

 

   Over the past few months, Stan and Kenny had gotten a lot closer, much to Kenny’s surprise. He had always felt like a background character to the rest of his friends stories. He'd gotten used to the vacant notifications tab on his phone and the delayed responses of his friends, effectively making his phone useless. That is until Stan suddenly started to blow his phone up one late night, sharing some personal things, and asking for Kenny for advice. Kenny had given Stan the best he could only to receive a "wow ur so wise" in response, and Kenny thought that would've been the end of it. His phone would've gone back to being abandoned under his bed until the morning alarm went off.

 

But Stan kept talking. And Stan talked a _lot_. Mostly at night, when both boys were surely the only ones left awake. Not all conversations were as deep as the first one, and often Stan would send Kenny videos he had found funny or things that had reminded him of Kenny. It was nice, really nice, to be noticed, even if by one of his oldest friends. And not just for a wall to vent to, or a show monkey to laugh at, but genuinely being talked to and laughed with.

 

Kenny assumed that Stan was having a hard time getting along with Kyle, his longtime best friend. Stan never said anything about it but Kenny could feel the tension in the air when they sat at the lunch table and noticed the lack of bubbly conversation between the two boys. Most days, Stan wouldn’t even sit with the group anymore, instead driving home for lunch. If there was something serious going on between the two, Stan never said anything about it, and Kenny didn’t pry. He let Stan come to him if he needed to vent, or drink, or smoke, or get high. Kenny was okay with being his temporary comfort friend while he and Kyle went through one of their almost annual fallouts.

 

Stan let out a hearty laugh, causing Kenny to come back from his thoughts. His head lulled back in the air, his body bouncing dramatically with his loud laughter. Kenny felt his chest jump, and he smiled at the sight. Yeah, having a friend was pretty awesome.

 

On the porch next to him, the sound of a chair scraping on the wood caused Kenny to snap his head to attention. Speak of the devil. Kyle had pulled up a seat next to Kenny. Kenny relaxed back into his own chair, looking out in front of him again.

 

“‘Sup,” Kenny ever so eloquently greeted.

 

“Hey,” Kyle said in a small voice. His eyes were trained on the group around the fire as well.

 

They sat there for a little bit, and uncomfortable silence falling over the two like a thick blanket. Kyle had something to say, Kenny sensed, but again, he wasn’t one to pry. If it was serious, Kyle would say so—

 

“We need to talk,” Kyle started, his voice coming out small. He cleared his throat. “About Stan.”

 

Kenny felt a pang of anxiety in his gut. “Yeah? What about Stan the man?” He smiled at his own use of the old nickname.

 

“It’s serious.” Kyle was stalling, Kenny thought.

 

Kenny turned to look at Kyle properly, letting him know that his attention was all on Kyle. “Well, get on with it, you’re making me nervous, dude,” Kenny said, letting out a soft chuckle.

 

“Well, uh.” He shifted to face Kenny, too. “I… I’m just worried about him. I’m sure you’ve noticed, but we haven’t talked in a long time. We had one of our spats, y’know, and usually, by now he would’ve been over it, but…” He pushed his thick red hair out of his face, obviously nervous. “I’ve noticed that you two have been talking a lot more lately,” Kyle confessed, looking Kenny directly in the eyes.

 

Kenny licked his bottom lip, anxious. “Uh, yeah, sorry man, if you want me to back off or-”

“No! No, its… it's good. I’m glad that you guys are having fun,” he insisted. “It’s just, I’m not sure if you two should be getting this close, considering Stan’s _issues_ , and all.”

 

Kenny frowned at that. “What?”

 

“I’m not trying to be an asshole! It’s just considering that Stan has some… unhealthy coping mechanisms, like—” He pointed to Stan chucking the last of his beer, “— _that_ , I don’t think it’s good for him to be hanging out with you. I mean, you’re cool Kenny, but… I know you’re no stranger to abusing drugs and stuff.”

 

Kenny felt his insides boiling. How dare Kyle—someone who was supposed to be his _friend_ —come up to him and criticize his and Stan’s friendship?

 

“What the fuck?” Kenny spat out, not bothering to hide his offense.

 

“I’m not trying to be a dick, Ken, I’m just looking out for Stan is all.”

 

Kenny scowled. “Right, like you would know anything about that,” he said, harshness evident in his voice. “You’re supposed to be his best friend, right? But instead of going to _Stan_ and asking to make up whatever stupid lover’s quarrel you’re in now, you come to me and ridicule mine and Stan’s friendship.”

 

“Ken—”

 

“Y’know, you think I’m bad for Stan, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you once support Stan, or at least pretend that you care about his problems. His dog dies? You don’t come help him bury the body. His parents get a divorce? You say ‘things change, get used to it, bud’. He’s clearly suffering with depression? You ignore him because he’s ‘sucking the life out of you’.

 

“Relationships aren’t just about the good times. You can’t just disappear from Stan’s life when he’s going through shit. That’s why he has ‘unhealthy coping mechanisms’ because you won’t help him find ways of not hurting himself.” Kenny looked over at Stan again, seeing that Stan was looking right back, watching the two talk. “And yeah, I smoke and drink and get high. Big whoop. I get that you don’t think its the right thing Stan should be doing right now, but at least he has someone to do it with him.”

 

The dreadful silence returned as Kyle took in Kenny’s words, turning them over in his mind. Kenny leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of his beer. He expected Kyle to come back swinging, he could tell that the other was trying to form his argument in his brain, but, to Kenny’s surprise, nothing ever came. Out of the corner of his eye, Kenny saw Kyle stand up, and wave to the other group.

 

“I’m going home, guys. Be safe.” There was the sound of the other boys in the group shouting their goodbyes and the sliding door opening and closing, before the silence of the night washed over again.

 

Kenny willed his anger away, finishing off his drink and crushing the can between his hands. He brought one hand up to his face, massaging it roughly.

 

He heard footsteps climb up the porch, making their way to the chair that Kyle had abandoned. He turned his head still in his hand towards the intruder. Stan.

 

“Hey,” Stan called out cautiously.

 

“Hey,” Kenny echoed, smiling, hopefully more inviting than he felt.

 

“That looked intense, dude, you okay?” Stan leaned in closer so they could talk quietly.

 

Kenny looked away, letting out a breath of a laugh. “Yeah, pretty intense. Your boyfriend tried to skin me using only his words.”

 

“Ugh, Kyle is _not_ my boyfriend,” Stan immediately defended.

 

“God, I hope not,” Kenny let out, frowning nowhere in particular.

 

“What?”

 

“What did you guys fight about this time?” Kenny asked, finally wanting the answer.

 

“Huh? Oh, uhm…” Stan shifted in his seat. “It’s real stupid, actually. I should probably go apologize for making such a big deal about it.” he laughed breathlessly.

 

“Nah, I’m sure its Brofuckski being the drama queen,” Kenny reassured, looking back over to Stan. “You need to stop apologizing to him. You let him win, even when he’s in the wrong.”

 

“Ugh, I am not. I take shit too seriously, and—”

 

“You’re letting him make you feel stupid and unimportant. Whether he’s doing it unintentionally or not, you need to let him and yourself know that you’re more important. He’s supposed to be your best friend.”

 

“Jesus Christ, Kenny…” Stan rubbed the back of his neck, looking out towards the fire, an apprehensive look taking over his face. The fire’s light illuminated his face, casting dark shadows, and beautifully contrasting his features. Kenny had to rip his eyes away.

 

Silence wafted over them, just as it had before with Kyle, though Kenny was less uneasy with this one. After what seemed like a minute or two of staring off into the fire, Stan finally spoke, his voice skipping the first syllable, rasping.

 

“I told him I don’t want to go to college,” he revealed. “God, it was so stupid… But he just got furious, saying I was throwing my opportunity to be successful.”

 

Kenny immediately felt annoyance spread through his mind. “So what? You don’t want to go to college, no biggy. College is a waste of money, anyways.” He wished he had another beer.

 

“I guess he was under the impression that I would go to school with him in Denver,” Stan said, still not looking to Kenny. “I just… I don’t know if it’s what I want, y’know? Not yet, at least…”

 

He brought his hands behind his head and raking them up through his hair, scratching for a second before pulling them away. He looked up at Kenny, although he didn’t meet his eyes.

 

“He said I’d end up being a janitor.” Stan laughed at his words weakly. “But I think cleaning up people’s shit is better than doing four more years of this shit.” He waved his hand up in the night sky, smiling and looking at Kenny properly now, trying to play his hurt and fear off.

 

Kenny didn’t buy it. He brought his hand to Stan’s back, leaning into him closer, rubbing the strong shoulder in an attempt to soothe Stan. “You don’t have to go to college, Stan, and you definitely don’t need to follow Kyle around to Denver, like you guys are some conjoined twin monstrosity.” Kenny smiled at Stan, who let out an amused scoff, but still smiled with Kenny all the same.

 

“I just wanna get a job, get used to being an adult for a while,” Stan said softly, confidence slowly growing within him.

 

“We could get a job at ACE together,” Kenny said, a grin spread across his lips.

 

Stan bit his bottom lip, but only for a second, grinning back. “Hell yeah, dude.”

 

Kenny’s hand lingered on Stan’s shoulder for a bit longer before he was standing up, stretching his long limbs. “I need another beer, what about you?” He asked, looking down fondly at Stan.

 

“I gonna need something stronger,” Stan said with a laugh, joining Kenny on their trek back to Stan’s kitchen.


End file.
